Sights Madrid, Spain

Sightseeing in Madrid are concentrated in the central part of the city, bounded by three areas - the main (Plaza Mayor), "Gate of the Sun" (Plaza Puerta del Sol), considered the heart of the city, and the area of Spain (Plaza de Espana). Here is a magnificent ensemble of the Royal Palace, surrounded by gardens and the church of San Gines San Isidro el Real, beautiful fountains XVIII century, the Retiro Park, the famous equestrian statue of Philip III and Philip IV, Columbus Monument, Cervantes, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.

The oldest part of town, which is called the "Madrid of the Austrians, is located near the Royal Palace, the area around the magnificent Plaza Mayor.

In the largest in Europe, the Royal Palace, situated among the gardens, over 2000 rooms and halls. The ruling royal couple lived in a modest palace, a royal palace is used for representational purposes, so it is often closed. Here, about 50 ornate Flemish and Spanish tapestries and precious hours of the premises, among them the magnificent Throne Room with a ceiling fresco by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (master during this work was 70 years old).

The Prado Museum was founded Braganskoy Isabella, wife of Ferdinand VII. In 1819 he located in the present building as the Royal Museum. Here exhibited paintings of Spanish, Italian, Netherlandish, Flemish and German schools.

But to get a complete overview of its collections should be familiar not only with the exposition, deployed in the central building (painting from the Middle Ages to the XVIII century), but also visited the Palace of Villahermosa, which boasts an excellent collection from the Collection of the Thyssen-Bornemisza (Art XII-XX centuries ), and Casona del Buen Retiro, a branch of the museum, which is on the streets of Philip IV (Spanish painting and sculpture of the XIX century, as well as works by some British and French painters).

Prado has a superb collection of works of art, many of whom are real masterpieces. The museum keeps works of famous Spanish masters as Berruguete, El Greco, Ribera, Zurbaran, Murillo, exceptional in its completeness and quality of the collection of Velazquez paintings (including "Surrender of Breda", "Las Meninas", "spinner", and numerous portraits of the King Philip IV and his family, a series of portraits of the royal jesters and much more) and Goya (among them - "The Family of Charles IV", "Naked maha" and "Dressed maha", "Shooting at night from the 2 nd of May 3, 1808 year, a series of stunning portraits). Netherlands School of creativity brought to brilliant artists such as Rogier van der Weyden, Bosch, Memling, Breughel. From the German masters should first call Durer. Exceptionally rich collection of Italian painting - Fra Angelico and Botticelli, Raphael and Titian, Giorgione, Veronese and Tintoretto ... In addition to painting, you will find in a museum collection of ancient coins, porcelain and jewelry.

The area of Puerto del Sol - the center of Madrid, Spain, hence officially begins on 6 national roads. Stone for the Clock Tower points out: "Kilometer Zero". In the center of the square is a fountain in the corner - the bear from the strawberry tree - the emblem of Madrid.

A masterpiece of architecture of the XVII century - the area of Plaza Mayor. Philip II thought of this area, as a social center, it was built thirty years under the direction of the architect Juan Gomez de Mora to the plans of Juan de Herrera and was finished in 1619, astonishing in its size and scale of surrounding buildings with galleries and lots of balconies. Area long served as a theater under the open sky, the Inquisition was filled with sentences here and produced a penalty.

For these and other entertainment in the royal family could watch from his palace, the Casa Panaderiya (now here is the municipality). Palace, the victim of a fire in 1692, was rebuilt and richly decorated. The area is always full of tourists. There are many cafes, summer held performances and concerts, carnivals, holiday town in honor of St. Isidore Labrador, the patron saint of Madrid, and in the winter before Christmas - Fair festive decorations and religious accessories.

At Plaza de la Villa is Old Town, rebuilt in Baroque style. In the Town Hall you can see Turnayi tapestries, paintings of Goya.

Not far from the streets of Calle San Justo is the parish church of San Miguel XVIII century.

Calle del Arenal leads to the Opera House, built in the middle of the XIX century.

Behind the theater is the area of the Plaza de Oriente, where the dictator Franco appealed to the people and where the anniversary of his death (in November) are still going to neo-fascists. In the center of the square stands the equestrian statue of Philip IV, which established the project Velazquez, and helped to calculate its equilibrium is the great Galileo Galilei. On the square are the new Cathedral of Our Lady de la Almudena and the Royal Palace. The Cathedral was badly damaged by bombing during the Civil War and was reopened in 1993 by Pope John Paul P.